An Audi TT RS driver who left her ride with a mechanic overnight believes the tech is responsible for the damage the ride sustained while he held the keys.
TikTok creator Mel (@iamelvmarnn) posted a clip about her experience. But there’s one specific detail that had commenters debating who should cover the cost of repairs.
Leaving Her Audi TT RS With a Mechanic Overnight: a Costly Mistake
“Is the mechanic liable?” Mel asks before delving into her auto service conundrum. She tells viewers she brought her vehicle into an auto service center for an oil change and brake pad replacement. Then she informed the tech that she wouldn’t be able to wait around until the work was done.
She opted to leave the ride there overnight and said she’d just pick it up the following morning. Due to a meeting, she was running late, so she says she texted and called several times to inform the tech of the delay. Mel says he read her texts but didn't respond and declined at least one of her calls, which she found odd.
“I was like, that’s just so weird,” she says. “I was like, maybe he’s busy, whatever,” she says, chalking it up to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Audi Is Damaged, Mechanic Denies Fault
Unfortunately, after Mel arrived at the mechanic, she discovered why she believes the mechanic gave her the silent treatment.
“I go to the shop. And I drive a TT RS. If you know, headlights are so expensive. When I got to the shop, my front headlight was completely, like, destroyed, and there’s like a scratch in the bumper of the car,” she says.
She wasn’t exactly thrilled with the tech’s explanation for why her car wasn’t in the same condition he received it in. “He’s just like, ‘Oh yeah, somebody crashed into your car.’ Like, he said that he parked my car in the side of the road, like on the street, because he was done with it and he had to bring other cars in to work on,” she says.
“I was like, ‘So when are you gonna fix it?’” she purportedly asked the mechanic, informing him of the high cost of her vehicle’s headlights.
Mel claims that she'd already paid for the work and given the mechanic a tip.
“I paid him before I left,” she says. “And I gave him, like, a really big tip. Like, I gave him like 50%, a 50% tip, and he’s gonna, like, give me my car back completely, like, [expletive] up? And I have to pay so much money now to fix it?”
Gallery: 2018 Audi TT RS Review
“I Stood Up for Myself”
Mel says she demanded that the mechanic repair her vehicle. “I gave you the car to fix. And this is how you’re returning it to me? Like absolutely not,” she says.
However, she says he didn’t agree that he should be liable for the damage. He argued that he wasn’t at fault because she couldn't wait for her car to be fixed or got someone else to pick it up.
Mel is adamant that the mechanic should pay. Several commenters agreed.
One person wrote, “He is 100% liable! No questions asked!” Someone else echoed this sentiment, stating, “Most shops have liability insurance l. You just file a claim.” Yet another quipped, “Lawyers about to have a field day with this one.”
Others said that the issue is a bit more complicated, as the car was parked on a public road.
“Public street, he wouldn’t be liable. No different than her parking on the street. Would she be liable?” one wrote.
Someone else said that their shop makes customers sign an agreement stating that any damage that takes place outside of their shop isn’t the company’s fault.
They wrote, “My shop customers usually gotta sign before we touch the keys stating any damage that occurs outside the shop isn’t our fault. But we bring cars inside overnight. If you didn’t sign anything he’s liable. Sucks he just won’t throw a headlight in. It’s cheap for the shop.”
Vehicle Damage During Service: Who Is Liable?
Some TikTokers who replied to Mel’s post speculated that the mechanic actually didn’t park the car on the street. They believe, without evidence, the mechanic took it for a joyride and is covering up the fact that it was damaged. If Mel could prove that this was the case, then she could argue that the tech was responsible.
But if the car was indeed parked on the street, the matter is a bit more complicated. In a similar instance listed on the Avvo legal forum, someone left their vehicle with a mechanic. The tech parked their car on the street, and the driver received a ticket. Several legal experts said that the driver was technically responsible for the ticket. However, if they could prove that the car was indeed left in the mechanic’s care, they could argue that they negligently parked the car.
The Regency Insurance Agency has written about “unexpected damage” to cars while they’re at repair shops. The business states that mechanics’ shops are expected to demonstrate they weren’t negligent in the care and custody of your vehicle. So, if they left the doors unlocked and your car was broken into, the liability would be on them. If they parked it in a no-standing zone with clear signage and it got towed, then they would also be at fault.
However, the insurance provider states that if they weren't negligent, then liability falls on the car owner. In the same write-up, Regency states that car owners could make a claim with their own insurance provider. This way, the insurance company can contact the mechanic’s provider and suss out the coverage details.
Further Liability Concerns: Street vs. Shop Parking
Again, the crux of Mel’s issue seems to lie in the fact that her vehicle was parked on the street, rather than inside the shop. HG, a legal resource website, stresses that car owners should provide evidence that the car was left in the tech’s care. Mel then has to prove that there was an expectation that her car would be safe when left with the technician. In a separate post, the outlet stresses that drivers must prove their “property was harmed as a result of the mechanic’s conduct … or [they] did not act with the care necessary under the circumstances.”
Motor1 has reached out to Mel via Instagram direct message for further comment. We'll update this if she responds.
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